Jason's Homecoming

Jason and Frances - a couple of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. Even through the temperature was well above 90°F (and so was the humidity, I think), I so enjoyed being their Operation Reunited photographer! It was a huge pleasure to be there to support them, to thank him for his service, and her for all her sacrifices.

Anyway, here are few preliminary shots! Enjoy!

1. At the start of the wait everyone's all smiles - more or less


2. Where you at?


3. OMG - Are you on the prow yet?


4. Here we are!


5. Home again! Do you see the tear at the corner of her eye?


6. Proud father!


7. Some of his first steps!

Trey's Homecoming

I am an Operation Love Reunited photographer and, as such, I sometimes donate my time, effort, and materials in an effort to say, "Thank you for all you do" to the soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the United States miltary. Some short while ago, I was contacted by the wife of a sailor returning from a 7-month cruise in the Middle East. She asked me to be there to capture some photos of the excitement and emotions of the event. This short slide show is some of what happened!



The photographs and other content of this publication do not constitute or
imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

What about photography creates the buzz?

A question occurred to me the other day, "Why photograph? What is it about photography that gets my juices flowing, gets my heart beating just a touch faster, provides the satisfaction? What is it about photography that gives me that buzz?" And, no, this isn't some sort of strange April 1st joke. This is, to me, a very serious question.

With a little reflection and some belly-button contemplation (can't really call it thinking), I arrived at this list of reasons why some people get bitten by the photography bug:

• Earning the big money :)
• The over-whelming adulation of "the beautiful people"
• The sens of power realized when an image is manipulated, thus altering someone else's perception of reality

Actually, that last one might actually be a valid thought, but the others? Well....

For me ... I'm a card carrying member of RA (Romantics Anonymous) and I get a powerful buzz from the emotions I see expressed by newlyweds. Not so much during the actual wedding ceremony - though it does sometimes happen. But, at the reception when the bride and groom have had a chance to de-pressurize a bit, relax a bit, and start to realize the depth and breadth of the commitment they have made to the other. And the commitment the other has made to them. I've seen crying, and laughing, and utterly calm joy.

Here are just a couple of examples of what I mean:
1.


2.


Anther aspect of my photography that excites me is the sheer wonder and awe inspired within me when viewing and imaging the Master Work of Art that is Nature:

3.


4.

Beauty can be found anywhere

Richmond VA - The Hollywood Cemetery is one of the major tourist attractions in the Ricmond area. It is the final resting place of Presidents James Monroe and John Tyler as well as several major figures from our Civil War history. In addition, it is one of the most beautiful cemeteries that local residents select as the final resting place of loved ones.

A Newport News photography club recently traveled to the Hollywood Cemetery to explore and to photograh this park-like setting. I elected to photograph using my most recently aquired toy - my MaxMax IR converted Canon 20D camera.

1. This is just one of the many mausoleums to be found in the cemetery.

2. The white, "spade-shaped" tree is a Bradford Pear. They flower for about a week in the early spring (beautiful flowers) and break apart at the slightest storm. I think they are so popular because the are fast growing and for the short flowering season each year.

3. This is a 90-foot granite pyramid, completed in 1869, as a monument to the 18,000 Confederate enlisted men burried nearby. What is interesting about this structure, aside from it's historical significance, is that the stones are not mortored into place.